Starting mechanism for roller tractors



Nov. 9 1926e R. W. KEELER STARTING MECHANISM FOR ROLLER TRACTORS Filed June 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 9 1926. 1,606,370

R. W. KEELER STARTING MECHANISM FOR ROLLER TRAcToRs Filed June 23, 1925 2 SheStSfSheet 2 Horne# Fatented ,Nota 9, i926.

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RAYMOITD W". KEELER, OF GALION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GALEON ERON WORKS & MFG. CO., OF GALION, OHO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

STARTING MECHANISIVI FOBJROLLER TBACTORS.

Application filed June 23, 1925.

This invention relates to trac-tors, and particularly to starting devices designed particularly for use with the form of tractor illustrated, described and claimed in my pending application for patent on Fordson roll-er tractor, Serial No. 724,907, filed on the 8th day of July, 1924, this present application being a continuation 1n part of my application Serial No. 724,908, filed on July 8, 1924, on starting mechanism for roller tractors.

ln the Fordson tractor', the motor is started by a starting crank projecting out from the forward end of the machine immediately beneath the radiator and through the cylinder front cover, and until the advent of the starting mechanism now in usethere were many accidents even with ordinary Ford motor cars due to the engine being started and the clutch either not having been thrown out or slipping.

The Fordson tractor is also started from he front by cranking, and her-e there have been many accidents and some loss of life due to the tractor starting up while a person wasV cranking and running over the operator. Furthermore, it is common to mount Fordson power plants on many different forms of tractors and also on different forms of road rollers. Such a road roller with Fordson tractor unit or power plant is illustrated in my application Serial No. 24,99?, filed on July 8, 1924, and previously c. ed to. lilhile it is dangerous to crank th ordinary Fordson tractor, it is extremely dii'iicult and even more dangerous to crank a Fordson engine or power plant when the same is mounted upon the frame of a tractor whose wheels are in advance of the power plant or a roller tractor, as in this case it is necessary that the operator should stoop downor crawl beneath the forward end of the power plant supporting frame and the front rollers and there operate the crank, in which position he is -obviously very likely to be very hadlyinjured in case the engine starts up, which it is liable to do, and may be quit-e badly injured by the crank striking him when he is in a cramped position between the forward end of the frame and the front rollers. Many accidents have actually occurred from this source, and it is the object of the present invention to do away with this cranking mechanism which necessitates cranking from in front of the Serial .No 39,134.

power plant and provide in place thereof cranking mechanism which is operated from the side of the power plant.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for starting up the engine of the roller tractor, which is so constructed that the ordinary crank furnished with the Fordson tractor may be used to start the engine from the side of the tractor.

A still further object is to provide a starting mechanism of the character stated which is normally out of engagement with the criving shaft of the engine but which may be readily shifted into engagement therewith by the operator, which will permit the starting mechanism to held in engagement with the driving shaftof the tractor by friction as the starting mechanism and the shaft are rotated to start the engine but which will cause the release of the engagement between the starting` mechanism and the crank shaft when the crank shaft speeds up beyond the speed of the starting mechamsm.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will appear more fully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinzy Figure l is a side elevation of a tractor roll-er having my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan view partly in section of my cranking mechanism;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that in Figure l l have illustrated a road roller such as forms the subject-matter of my application for Patent, Serial No. 724,- 907, iiled on the Sth'day of July, 1925, this roller including the laterally disposed frame bars l() which are operativelysupported upon therear axle 11 in the manner disclosed in said application, these frame bars extending forward in parallel relation in a horizontal plane, then extending convergently upward and forward and being connected at their forward ends, as at l2, to a yoke 1S which supports the axle of the forwardroller or rollers 14.

Mounted upon the frame l0 is a power plant which, as illustrated, is the engine of the ordinary Fordson tractor, this engine Vthe starting crank.

being designated generally 15, and having "he usual radiator 16. Disposed below the radiator and extending longitudinally of the engine is the crank shaft 17 which is provided with a fan wheel 18, this crank shaft being so constructed at its forward end that it will engage with the ordinary star ng crank.

lt will be seen with the construction which has been described that it would be neces sary fo: the person `starting the engine to cra-wl in between the front rollers and the forward. end of the engine and there operate This is extremely difiicult to do in this cramped position and, as

beforestated, very dangerous. ln order to avoid this inconvenience and danger, I provide means whereby the engine may be started from the side of the frame instead of in front of the engine. To this end l mount upon the lower section 19 of the radiator the shaft bracket, designated 20 as a whole, this shaft bracket comprising a web A21 having at its hear a lateral extension 22 and having forwardly entending ribs 23 and 24, the latter being curved from the eX- tension 22.

Formed integral with the web 21 and with the the ribs 23 and 24, are the tubular bearing portions 25 and 2 6, these bearing por tions being connected by the integral web 21 but being separated, as at 27, by a substantial space for a purpose which will be later disclosed. Each of these bearing portions 25 and v2G is formed with the upwardly extending lugs 28 constituting a bearing or support for a rotatable rod or small shaft 29 having an upwardly extending arm 30 at its outer en d, the inner end 0f this shaft having a downwardly extending curved linger 31.

Mounted wit-hin the bearing 26 is thehollow or tubular shank 32 of a. beveled gear wheel 83, and disposed through the bearing member 25 and rotatable therein is the shank of the ordinary Fordson starting crank' Se. This starting crank has its rear end inserted within the bore 85 of the shank v2 and is pinned thereto by a. transversely extending pin 3G which passes through the tubular shank 32 and through the starting crank. lt is for the purpose of driving this pin into place` and permitting the use of the regular loidson starting crank that the bearings 25 and 26 are spaced from each other, asif they were not so spaced it would be impossible to use the ordinary starting crank as it would be impossible to drive the pin 86 through the end of the crank and thr ugh the shaft 34. The ei;- tension 22 of the bracket 2O is formed to provide the upper half 37 of a bearing, the lower half of which is designated 38, this bearing having its axis, of.course,rat right angles to the axis of the bearings `by bolts or` other suitable means ill) passi:

treniityof the crank shaft 1"? Vthe spring bearing against a dis t -l-l .mount i and 26. These sections are held together through apertures in the respective pa Disposed within this bearin'i l.med by ie parts 37 and 38 is a shatt- #ll whirh is 'te longitudinally shiftable in the bearing and which is in alignment with the cranl 17 of the Fordson engine. rlhis section l() norinallv urged forward out of operative engagement t le aspring 41 Vwhich bears against the hub of a beveledgear wheel Ll2' meshing with the beveled gear wheel 33, the forward end vof ed upon the end of the shaft et() and held in place by a Cotter pin all. rlhe beveled gear wheel. 1-2 is splined upon the shaft l0 and is heldifrom any longitudinal movement by ,spring` Ll1 bearing against it, the gear in turn ffii: bearing against the bearing 87 so that the gear wheel will turn with the shaft Ll0 but the shaft may have movement longitudinally through the gear wheel.

:The f finger 31 is, as before remarked, :ai mounted upon the manually operable shaft 29. This linger extends down and over the extremity of the shaft l0 so that when this linger 31 is given a counterclockwise morement it will press against the extremity of El [i shaft l0 and force the shaft rearward into o v17 carries upon it the usual fan wheel 1S. The rearend of the shaft has a trans` los versely extending pin 45 and the shaft 17 -at its forward end is formed with a central `socket 46 with a radially extending, beveled slot 47, as usual.

The shaft bracket 20 is held in place by a screw which passes through an opening l8- forined at the extremity of the rib 23 and which screw extends up into the bottom section of the radiator and is also supported by reason of the fact that the shaft l0 passes lll) through the bearing 49 which is commonly found on all Fordson tractors, this bearing beingthe one 1n which the shank of the `starting crank is supported and this bearing forming the terminal end of the usual front i end support found on Fordson tractors i which l have designated 50.

The operation of this device will be obvious from what has gone before. -When it is desired to crank the machine, the arm 30 is; pulled vin a direction to cause a rotation ofthe shaft 29 and the movement of the linger 31 toward and against the extremity of the shaft 10. This will forceV the shaft -l-O rearward against the action of the spring the radial slot47. When this has been accomplished, a rotation of the starting crank ,34 willstart up the motor.

Ais soon as 130 tension is applied there will be enough frictional engagement between the shafts 17 and et() to hold these two parts in engagement with each other the action of the spring il and, 'just as in the ordinarv Ford car or Fordson tractor, soon as the motor starts and increases its speed beyond a certain point, the motor shaft 17 will overrun the shaft ll() and release the same and will move forward under the action of spring 4l., thus clearing the pin e5 from its engagement with the notch r groove l' ylhe shaft 17 is caused to release its engagement with shaft l() by the cam action of the slot f7 on the pin 45, this being the usual action .in devices of this character.

t will be seen that the crank shaft Se extends through one of the `side frames 10, as shown in Figure l, to the exterior of the side frame so that this starting cranlr may be manipulated from the side of the machine. lt will be seen that with this construction the motor may be started `without the operator getting in front of the machine at all and, therefore, without any danger and without the operator having to get under the machine or operate in a cramped and relatively small space. Furthermore, this device permits Fordson engines to be used in connection with tractors and particularly in connection with road rollers having parts, such as the wheels thereof, which are disposed to obstruct access to the eranl; shaft and disposed forward of the engine.

While l have illustrated this device as applied to such an implement as a road roller, l do not wish to be limited thereto as while it is particularly adapted for these road rollers it is also adapted to different forms of tractors and other implements such as road maintainers, scariliers, graders and the lilte and wherever the tractor having the power plant is formed with or car* ies a road-engaging instrument forward of and which would tend to prevent or obstruct easy manipulation of the ordinary starting crank.

lt will be seen that l have provided a unitary device which may be readily appliedl to all lfordson engines for the purpose of cranking the Fordson engine from the side and which is particularly adapted to be applied as a unit to the roller tractor shown in my prior application above referred to.

l claim 1.1%. starting device for internal combustion engines having a radiator and having a longitudinally extending power shaft extending beneath the radiator comprising a casting adapted to be disposed beneath the radiator, the casting embodying a bean ing extending longitudinally of the engine and a bearing in advance of the first named bearing and extending transversely of the engine, a start-ing shaft mounted within the last namedy bearing and extending ont through the side of the engine and there provided with a crank, a gear wheel on this last named shaft, a shaft mounted within the first named bearing for longitudinal movement toward and from the power shaft, said last named shaft being formed at its inner end to operatively engage the power shaft, a beveled gear wheel mounted on the last named shaft and engaging tie first named beveled gear wheel, a spring urging the last named shaft outward. and away from the power shaft, the casting being formed with upwardly projecting ears, and a rock shaft mounted in said ears and iaving at its outer end an arm whereby it may be manipulated and at |its inner end a finger engaging the extremity of the longitudinally shiftable shaft.

2. A starting device for an internal combustion engine which includes a radiator and a longitudinally extending power shaft,

said starting device comprising a casting adapted to be disposed below the radiator and attached thereto, the casting being formed to provide a longitudinally extend ing bearing and a laterally extending bearing, the laterally extending bearing having an opening between 'its ends, a tubular shaft section mounted within this bearing and carrying a beveled gear wheel, a cranlt extending through the bearing to the side of the tractor and having its end inserted in the tubular gear wheel and pinned thereto, a shaft mounted within the longitudinally extending Ybearing for longitudinal movement therein and in alignment with the power shaft, means on the inner end of this last named shaft detachably engageable with the approximate end of the power shaft, a gear wheel mounted upon the last named shaft through which the last named shaft slides, the wlreel meshing with the first named gear wheel and having rotative engagement with the last named shaft, a spring surrounding the shaft and bearing at one end against said gear wheel and at the other end operatively bearing against the end of the shaft to urge the shaft longitudinally from the power shaft, ears formed on the casting and disposed in transverse alignment, and a recit shaft disposed in said ears and a linger mounted upon the inner end of the roclr shaft and engageable with the extremity of the longitudinally shiftable shaft, the opposite end of the roclr shaft having an arm wherebyit may be manipulated.

8. A start-ing device for internal combustion engines and adapted to crank the engine from one side, said engine having a longitudinally extending power shaft haviii .crank disposed in alignment with the power shaft, said starting device comprising a supporting bracket having a bearing adapt ed to align with the bearing for the vshank of the ting cranlr and having bearin t t angles thereto in advance th Qt inounted in the first nained be iwigs and having at its rear end ineans for 'natively engaging the forward end of the power shaft, a spring normally urging said seco` d nained shaft away freni the power shaft, a bev led gear wheel mounted for rotation upon the second named shaft but through wlich the second nained shaft slides, a sl aft extending through the trans verse bearing and carrying a beveled gear wheel adapted to engage the lirst named beveled gear wheel, said second nained shaft having a cranlr handle, and manually operable ineens mounted upon said support whereby the second nained shaft may be shifted inward into engagen'ient with the power shaft and against the force of said spring', the bracket having ineens at one corner whereby it may be neld in engagen'ient with the lower end of s ld radiator.

l. The combination with a tractor roller having front and rear rollers, a supporting fraine, an internal eon'ibustion engine nioi'lnted upon said freine between the forward and rear rollers and including a longitudinally extending power shaftadapted to be started from the forward end of the engine, the forward roller obstructing access to said power shaft, of starting mechanism for the engine including a trans ersely extending crank shaft mounted upon the .traine of the engine and having a crank disposed enteriorlv of the engine and rearward of the front roller, a longitudinally extending shaft disposed in alignment with the power shaft and operatively engaged at all tiines with the transversely extending cranl shaft, manually operable means for shifting said second named shaft rearward and into engagement- Withthe power shaft of the engine, and a spring normally urging the second named shaft out of engagement with the power shaft of the engine.

5. lThe combination with. a tractor roller having supporting fra-ine comprising` two longitudinally extending beanie, the beanie at forward ends extending upward and convergently, a yoke supporting the forward ends of the beams, an axle extending through the yole, a roller mounted upon the yohe, a pair of rear rollers supporting the rear end of the freine, an internal cornu b "ion engine mounted upon said frame and including a longitudinally extending power shaft or a longitudinally extending drive shaft, of means for start-ing the engine comprising a shaft disposed in aligninent with the power shaftand operatively supported below the radiator of the engine, said shaft being longitudinally shiftable and having means at its rear end whereby it may be operatively connected to the power shaft when shifted rearward, a spring urging said shaft forward out of engageinent with the power shaft, a beveled gear wheel splined upon said starting sha?l f transverse shaft mounted below the en e' ne D and extending laterally outward through the frame, a eranlr mounted on this shaft exteriorly of the fraine,fa beveled wheel inounted on the shaft and inesliin with the first named beveled gear wheel, shaft supported above the last nanied sha and extending. transversely thereof ancL having nieans at one end whereby it niay be osoillated, and a finger at the oth r end of the shaft bearing against the starting shaft and adapted, when the finger is pressed inward, to shift the starting shaft into engagement with the power shaft of ythe engine.

In testimony whereof I affix niy signature.

`RAYli/ffplill) lll. KEELEE,

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